A method and mechanism to set a platen glass of an image reader by demounting the platen glass after the platen glass has previously been position-adjusted and positioning means have been fixed to this adjusted position and then achieving the desired positioning by these positioning means before the platen glass is mounted again on the image reader. Upon completion of optical adjustment, the platen glass is temporarily fixed to a casing of the image reader and then the platen glass is position-adjusted until image data formed on a test chart sheet coincide with predetermined image data. After the adjustment, positioning blocks are secured to top-plates of the casing and a glass retaining plate is secured to these top-plates. Subsequently, the platen glass may be mounted on the image reader in operative association with these positioning blocks to set the platen glass to the adjusted position.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for positioning a platen glass at a predetermined horizontal position on the casing of an image reader adapted to irradiate an original placed on said platen glass with light beams from a light source lamp, to pick up light beams reflected on the original and thereby to read an image formed on said original, said method comprising steps of: mounting guide plates on the surface of a platen glass so as to guide the horizontal position of an original to be copied; operatively associating one end of the platen glass with a glass retainer adapted to fix the platen glass to the image reader and simultaneously to guide the position of the original; mounting the platen glass on the image reader and actuating said image reader to read an image formed on a predetermined original positioned in a predetermined manner in relation to the guide plates; adjustably shifting said platen glass in a horizontal plane to acquire image data from said predetermined original which corresponds to the data on the predetermined original; securing the platen glass with horizontal positioning blocks selectively engaging the other end of the platen glass to the image reader at the position allowing said predetermined image data to be acquired; and placing said platen glass against said positioning blocks by said glass retainer and securing the retainer to the casing of the image reader, thereby accurately positioning said platen glass.
2. A mechanism for positioning a platen glass at a predetermined position on an image reader adapted to irradiate an original placed on said platen glass with light beams from a light source lamp, to pick up light beams reflected on the original and thereby to read an image formed on said original, said mechanism comprising: a platen glass; guide plates mounted on the surface of said platen glass to guide the position of an original to be copied; a glass retainer operatively associated with one end of said platen glass and adapted to fix said platen glass to the casing of an image reader and simultaneously guide the position of the original; and positioning means fixed to the image reader and adapted to be selectively engaged with or disengaged from an end of said platen glass opposite said glass retainer to set said platen glass to a predetermined position, wherein when a predetermined original is placed on said platen glass at a predetermined position and said platen glass is adjustably shifted on the casing until a predetermined image data can be acquired from said predetermined original whereupon said positioning means are fixed to said image reader and said glass retainer is used to retain said platen glass on said image reader and simultaneously to place said platen glass against said positioning means.
3. The mechanism for positioning the platen glass of the image reader according to claim 2 , wherein said positioning means are substantially L-shaped plates having inner sides so that corners of said platen glass may be placed against said L-shaped inner sides of said positioning means.
4. The mechanism for positioning the platen glass of the image reader according to claim 3 , wherein said platen glass mounted on said image reader is provided with an auxiliary positioning device adapted to be operatively associated with one side edge of said platen glass.
5. The mechanism for positioning the platen glass of the image reader according to claim 2 , wherein said guide plates are adhesively attached to the surface of said platen glass.
6. The mechanism for positioning the platen glass of the image reader according to claim 3 , wherein said guide plates are adhesively attached to the surface of said platen glass.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 26, 2002
August 22, 2006
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